


Just You and Me (and Your New Best Friend)

by kristen999



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Domestic, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, a bit of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:20:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21575161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kristen999/pseuds/kristen999
Summary: Danny’s relationship with Steve had survived many tests: misunderstandings, ex-partners, not to mention too many life and near-death situations to count. Certainly, it could meet the challenge of a new roommate. Junior would probably stay a few weeks, tops. (No S10 Spoilers)
Relationships: Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams
Comments: 42
Kudos: 337





	Just You and Me (and Your New Best Friend)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [imaginary_iby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginary_iby/gifts).



> A/N: Thank you to Gaelicspirit for the swift beta and all of her suggestions. You rock!
> 
> This was a gift for my dear friend, imaginary_iby. Your prompt was awesome! Happy Holidays

* * *

Danny didn’t live with Steve, per-say. Yes, the third drawer in Steve’s dresser belonged to Danny, the red toothbrush and Ultra Edge razor was also his, and maybe he kept his favorite snacks and food in the fridge. 

Danny had his own place; he had the rent payments and bills to prove it. But he also had children to care for. Speaking of….

“You do know there’s a difference between a baby SEAL and a puppy, right? Adopting one is a bit more complicated than the other.”

Steve ignored him while he helped his, _their,_ new roommate paint over the bright pink walls of the guest room. Danny bit the inside of his cheek. There was something about watching the colors that his little girl had picked out for _her room_ , get painted over. 

“Sir?”

It took a second before Danny realized the new puppy was talking to him. “Huh?”

“I was wondering if you’d like a beer?”

“Sure.”

Steve waved his hand, indicating his desire for one, too. Then he wiped his face with the hem of his t-shirt, revealing a long stripe of tanned muscle. Danny’s mouth went dry as he appreciated the sight.

“Um, sir?”

Danny pulled his attention away from Steve and took the offered beer. They were going to need to talk about all these _sirs._ He caught Junior’s furrowed brow at the quick glances between Danny and Steve, the wheels in his head obviously turning.

 _Oh_ …Danny twisted the cap off his bottle and swallowed his laugh with a gulp. Of course, Steve didn’t tell his new roommate about who else spent the night and shared chores and listened to—and willfully ignored—the long list of annoying household rules. 

Maybe that was the reason Junior had moved in, so Steve had someone to order around who’d actually listen. Although, Junior would probably ask how high to jump when commanded.

* * *

Danny shuddered, his toes curling, back arching off the mattress as waves of pleasure coursed through him. Clawing the bed sheets, Danny moaned in pleasure as Steve sucked his cock.

Orgasm building, Danny squeezed his eyes closed as Steve’s fingers teased his balls. 

“Yes, yes, y—” His voice caught in his throat, orgasm fading with a thought.

Oh fuck. 

Steve’s mouth released Danny and he looked up from between Danny’s legs. “What?”

“Nothing.”

A warm finger wrapped around Danny’s softening length. “Really?” 

Steve began rubbing his thumb over the head and Danny wanted to give in, to bliss out and take-off, but all he could think about was the fact that sound carried. 

And he was loud. They _both_ were.

But he couldn’t continue, not knowing there was an audience down the hall who could hear them.

Danny groaned internally.

* * *

Rummaging around the kitchen, Danny searched for eggs and veggies. Omelets were on the agenda, with bacon, toast and fresh squeezed orange juice. He wanted to make up for last night.

The bed was empty when he got up; Steve usually rose at the crack of dawn to go for a swim. The door to Grace’s—no, _Junior’s_ —room was open. The bed perfectly made. 

Maybe Junior hadn’t even been home last night. Maybe Danny had freaked out for nothing. But the sound of the front door opening, followed by Eddie’s bark, caused him to hang his head. Time to face the music. 

Danny chopped onions and peppers as Junior padded inside. “Hey.”

Looking up, Danny cleared his throat. “Hey. I made coffee.”

“Cool.”

Danny managed to cut all the veggies without missing a beat. “If you want to set the plates out, I’ll have breakfast ready.”

Junior froze. “I, um…don’t want to intrude.”

 _Too late._ No, Danny shouldn’t think like that. “Considering how hard you’re staring at that pile of bacon I’d beg to differ.”

“I’ll help clean up afterward.”

Danny was sure Junior would have no problem washing dishes for hours. “Sure. Why don’t you take a shower first and breakfast should be ready by the time Steve emerges from the great deep.”

“Copy that.”

Junior hesitated like he wanted to say something or ask a question. 

Danny started cracking eggs into a bowl, the tips of his ears turning pink. For a second he thought about apologizing, but then the rest of his brain caught up to him.

He was allowed to have sex in Steve’s house. A space they’d shared together for years. They refrained from anything when Danny’s children spent the night—or took precautions to be quiet. But Junior was adult, and this was adult business. They could have a normal conversation about it. 

He looked up to say something, but Junior was already gone. Great, another ninja. No matter. Danny would make them all an amazing breakfast and he’d talk to Steve about freezing-up. Not that Steve would care. He was great like that.

Flipping the omelet, Danny released a heavy breath. Dealing with roommates was a lot more stressful than he’d ever imagined.

* * *

Danny had a teenage daughter; he was used to her mood swings and her desire not to have much to do with her father. Not full-blown rebellion, but Grace’s trying to please him phase went out the window years ago.

It was weird behavior coming from a grown adult. 

Danny beat Steve to his house after work. Steve needed to swing by the governors’ place for a file. It wasn’t a surprise to find Junior fixing something; he’d become Steve’s handyman ever since moving in. Re-painting all the rooms in the house, replacing creaky floorboards, doing yard work, so much yard work.

So, it was a surprise when Junior ran toward him, soaked head to toe. “Dude, can you help me?”

Every towel in the house was on the kitchen floor while water poured out a pipe from under the sink.

“Did you call a plumber?”

Junior’s lack of a response was his answer. Of course not, because Navy SEALs didn’t need plumbers. They breathed and walked on water; there wasn’t anything water-related they couldn’t conquer.

Danny searched around the kitchen. “Did you turn off the water supply?”

“I don’t know where the main shut-off valve is. I looked everywhere.” Junior looked panicked, which was cute, if it wasn’t for the fact that both their shoes were getting wet. 

Shit. Did Danny know?

Running through every memory about home repairs, Danny snapped his fingers. “Follow me.”

Junior chased after him into the street and toward a metal lid beside the road. 

After successfully turning off the water supply and returning to a flooded kitchen, Danny pointed a finger at Junior’s chest. “Did you forget how phones work? Because any call, any at all, would have salvaged this mess. To a plumber, to me, to, I dunno, Steve?”

Danny looked around at all the damage, his eyes landing on Junior who stood ramrod straight, waiting for Danny to continue berating him. 

Then is dawned on him. The work lists, the chores, the repair jobs. Danny sighed. “You don’t have to impress him.”

Junior looked over at him sharply. “I’m not, sir.”

But Steve told Danny about the homeless shelter that Junior had been staying in despite the Navy’s resources. And of course, the giant marshmallow that he was, Steve took Junior in, gave him a roof over his head and food to eat. 

Danny softened his voice. “You don’t have to earn your keep, man.”

Junior’s stiff demeanor did not waver. Danny understood his stubbornness, his embarrassment at needing help. 

“It’s a big, empty house. Steve is happier when there’s more people roaming around. Four-legged and two legged. Jerry used to live here, you know.”

Junior’s face softened. “He did?”

That was the opening. Danny could have quipped that Junior wasn’t that special, that he wasn’t the first lost soul that Steve had taken in, but that was a lie, because Steve’s radar was attuned to others, it pinged whenever it was near the broken, the wounded, the lost….

Because Steve knew a lot about that, even if he didn’t fully understand why his sixth sense was so perceptive to such things. 

That was what Steve did: he fixed things, he fixed people. And sometimes he barged into your place and conscripted you to a decade of partnership.

Danny patted Junior’s shoulder. “Just—just do well in the Police Academy; you’ll make Steve proud that way.”

If there was thing Danny did not doubt was Junior’s ability to pass every test the HPD threw his way. Even break a few records. But being a cop was more than just physical or intellectual skills, and Danny knew Steve was a giving Junior something Steve never had: a readjustment period.

And damn if Danny’s heart didn’t grow fonder at the thought of Steve’s giant goofy heart. 

“Come on.” Danny hustled Junior along. “Let’s open the faucets and drain the rest of the water from the system. Then, you’re going to call a plumber and I’m going to order Chinese take-out for the long night ahead.”

* * *

They were at a suspect’s warehouse to ask questions, maybe sniff around. Hell, none of them were even wearing vests when it all went down. But that’s how Danny found himself locked in an employee break room with Tani, Steve, and Junior.

Tani folded her arms over her chest. “When Jamal said he needed tape and trash bags, that wasn’t to clean the break room, right?”

“No, it’s to conceal and drag our bodies away,” Danny grumbled. 

Of course, they happen to drop by just as the bad guys were moving a bunch of stolen weapons. At least Jamal was level-headed enough not kill them out in the open on the warehouse floor. 

That didn’t stop Steve from pulling out things from the break room cabinets. Sugar, drain cleaner…. “Junior, refrigerator.”

“On it.”

Tani shared a look with Danny as she kept looking between the locked door and the two SEALs tearing apart the break room.

“My guess?” Danny said. “Improvised bomb.”

“Red Bull and pickle jars, Sir.”

“That’s good,” Steve said, dumping them on a table.

And like some weird tag team, Steve and Junior passed things around, fiddling and taking things apart without speaking a word. Naturally, Steve had tape on him even if his knife and weapon had been removed. 

“Okay, a bomb is good, but we’re in small room, so wouldn’t we get blow-up, too?” Tani asked.

It was a practical question and in his gut Danny knew the answer. He gnawed on his bottom lip. 

Breathing hard, Steve held his homemade IED in his hand. “I’m going to cause a distraction. Junior, I need you to listen carefully.”

Steve’s instructions were clear and succinct, spoken without a moment’s hesitation, even if it was the most ridiculously dangerous plan ever. As if the concept of survival odds didn’t exist in his book. Danny knew this, knew that to Steve things like odds and risks were just words. It’s how he’d survived all these years.

And while Tani’s jaw hung open listening to the plan, Junior’s was clenched tight, his eyes focused.

“I’m ready, Sir.”

The unwavering trust between both SEALs sparked a moment of jealousy Danny had never felt before.

* * *

Steve’s plan worked. The bad guys were dead or in jail. Tani went to the bar to tie one down. Danny was back at Steve’s house to keep an eye on him given he had a ‘slight head injury’ after his distraction involved getting punched. 

Pulling out a six-pack from the fridge, he drank one of the bottles down before contemplating a second one. He must have zoned out because Junior was staring at him from the other side of the kitchen island. 

“May I have one of those?”

“Sure.”

Junior leaned against the kitchen counter. “You look upset.”

“I’m not upset.”

“Okay.”

Danny started on the second beer when Junior blurted, “Because you know, it’s normal to feel anxious after a hairy situation.”

Was the kid trying to…to _comfort_ him? Did Junior even realize how long he and Steve had been partners?

“This wasn’t my first rodeo with a hairy, stare death in the eyes type of situation. I’ve flown in a helicopter with a nuclear bomb, been exposed to sarin, and taken down serial killers and cartels.” Danny sipped his beer. “So, you and Steve creating a home-made bomb constructed out of break-room supplies to help us escape? That didn’t actually faze me.”

It was obvious Junior was trying to decide if Danny was exaggerating or was crazy. “And the silent treatment in the car, that was you _not_ being upset?”

“My silent treatment was me processing. Humans process things in different ways; I needed time to de-stress.” Danny narrowed his eyes. “Why? Did Steve say something?”

“No.”

“Do you have something to say?”

“It’s just, you know. All the constant arguing. And there was the stress counselor from a few weeks ago. I’m just starting to wonder if that was more for McGarrett or for you.”

“Did you forget what I just said three minutes ago? Steve being Steve does not faze me. Despite what most people think, I know what SEALs are capable of; I’ve done my research, I watched documentaries. I might not have gone through the training, but I am not naïve. I’ve had a SEAL as my partner longer than you’ve served in the Navy. I am not worried about Steve’s expertise. What I’m worried about is his valuing every person’s life in the room over his own.”

Junior shook his head. “I disagree.”

Danny’s blood pressure started to go through the roof, because was this really happening? 

“Is this where you lecture me about the duty of leaders? Or the officer code of conduct? Five-O is a team. Teams have leaders, but Teams as you know, are a unit. One of us is not more valuable than the other.”

“I would argue that his training and ability to self-assess his capabilities in a situation means he’s just acting with sound judgment,” Junior pressed forward. “It’s not about undervaluing is life, but the confidence in succeeding in the effort.”

“Or sometimes dumb luck happens and a bullet rips through that tiny spot half inch above the vest. Or you clip the green wire to a ticking bomb just a second too late.” Danny slammed his empty bottle on the counter, flashbacks of Steve in various states of dying vivid in his head. “The more you spin that wheel, the greater the odds you’ll win the prize.”

Junior blinked. “I’m not sure that’s the right metaphor.”

“Yeah, but you got it, didn’t you?” Feeling petulant, Danny walked away.

* * *

Danny closed his eyes, enjoying being in bed as Steve draped an arm over his chest, pulling them close. 

“Is everything, okay?” Steve asked, nuzzling his neck.

“Yeah, everything’s fine.” Danny didn’t mention how much he hated some of Steve’s distractions.

“Are you sure? I heard you yelling at Junior earlier. If it’s about today….”

“No, it isn’t. Not really. Just like you’ll never stop being you, I’ll never stop being me. We love each other because of who we are.”

“But you still worry.”

“I care.”

“And I love that you care.”

Danny reached back and pulled Steve’s leg over his hip, snuggling closer. 

“You know,” Steve said his voice throaty and deep. “We could….”

“Head injury.”

“A small one.”

“Then you get small kisses.”

* * *

Home-cooked meals were Danny’s favorite way of saying thank you, or of giving love. Sometimes buying good take-out was the next best thing, because honestly, he was tired, and his throat still hurt from all the smoke.

It hadn’t been a surprise that Junior stayed with Tani after the whole building explosion thing. _“It’ll be quieter at my place,”_ she’d said. Those two had been dancing around the same flame for a while. 

Danny had been glad for some peace and quiet and for Steve to be in one piece. In fact, Steve didn't have a scratch on him—thanks to the person on the recliner playing video games.

“Here, all your favs.”

Junior took the grub just as his army man got sniped. Danny cringed. “Sorry.”

“It’s all good. Thank you. You’ve never bought me dinner before.”

“I bought pizza last week. Besides, it’s not every day one of your coworkers runs into a burning building and saves a bunch of people.”

Meaning Steve had not. In fact, Steve had ordered Junior to stand down.

“I made a mistake, though. The roof really was unstable; it was dumb luck that it collapsed only after I got those two guys out. McGarrett still reprimanded me.”

“Yeah? With what?”

“I have to clean all the cars belonging to HPD and the Fire Department.”

Danny whistled. “Personal or work vehicles?”

“Both.”

Which means every one of those cars was going off-roading the day before. But the punishment didn’t sound all that bad. “What’s the catch?”

“I have to wear what’s in that bag over there.”

Curious, Danny walked toward the plastic bag that Junior stared at in disdain. Pulling a t-shirt out, he read the front of it with a grin. “And on the eighth day, God created the Air Force and the devil stood at attention.”

Danny chuckled. “Did you learn your lesson?”

“Not at all.”

* * *

It was parent-teacher conference day and Danny had the morning off from work. Then he got caught in traffic because of construction. Steve texted letting him know something had come up that wasn’t case related and to take the rest of the afternoon off. 

It was Friday. The kids were at Rachel’s. He needed to clean his house but thought maybe he’d surprise Steve by coming over.

He didn’t expect to find Junior sitting on the sofa in his dress blues uniform, polishing his shoes. 

“What’s going on?”

“McGarrett and I are attending a funeral.”

“Today?”

“Yeah.”

“For who?”

“Carl Brunet.”

Danny tossed his car keys in the bowl on the coffee table. “Did you serve with him?”

Junior finished scrubbing the front of his dress shoe. “No.”

“Was he a buddy of Steve’s?

Danny hoped not; Steve had lost so many friends in the last few years.

Steve walked down the stairs, also wearing his uniform, his cap tucked against his side. “No. I didn’t know him.”

Thoughts and questions ran through Danny’s head. He didn’t recall reading about this in the morning paper. It was obviously important even if Danny wasn’t a hundred percent certain as to why. 

Junior smoothed his hand down his sides and tugged on the edges of his jacket. Standing at parade rest, he looked over at Steve. “Sir?”

Steve scrutinized Junior from head to toe, Junior unwavering from the intensity. It occurred to Danny that if Steve told Junior to give him fifty push-ups, he’d do it on the spot.

After the longest sixty seconds ever, Steve reached over and removed the tiniest piece of flint from Junior’s shoulder. “There. You’re set.”

A shiver went down Danny’s spine at that level of focus, the crazy attention to detail and need for perfection. It was something Danny usually balked at in spades, but the way Steve demanded it—in certain circumstances—could be exhilarating. 

Turning, Steve looked over at Danny, his expression softer, lacking most of the concentration from seconds ago. “Brunet was ninety. He served during World War II. He wasn’t at Pearl, but he retired in Hawaii thirty years ago. He has no known family.”

Things began to click, because this was Steve and all his issues, but it was also his humanity at its finest. “So, you’re going to honor him.”

“Yeah. The Chaplin made a social media message on Facebook. It made the rounds and got to me and Junior a few hours ago.”

A pang of sadness went through Danny’s chest at not having the same type of bond that Junior and Steve shared. Of course, he and Steve had a connection—after ten years, theirs was forged in fire. Untouchable. 

But Junior’s place with Steve was special. A brotherhood of being a SEAL. It wasn’t like Danny had ever wanted to join the military; he respected those who served, but not necessarily the war machine. It was...complicated. 

But it was okay to experience one conflicting emotion followed by another. While Danny missed not having that type of connection, it still filled his heart with affection at Steve’s dedication, a willingness to support a fallen solider when no one else would. It made Danny’s own beat a bit louder, his fondness for a sugar-coated lethal weapon making him grin. 

Junior cleared his throat and it took a second before Danny realized he was staring a Steve, drawn to the sharp lines of his uniform, at the medals lining one side of his chest. 

Danny covered his embarrassment with a cough, but the ends of Steve’s mouth pointed in a smirk. 

“We’ll be back in a few hours,” Steve said. “I could order a pizz—"

“No, I’m cooking. After today, you’ll both be hungry for something homemade.” Danny included Junior in his invitation because it felt like the right thing to do. Junior’s shoulder relaxed minutely, and he shot Danny what could be interrupted as a surprised but excited grin of acceptance.

It made Danny feel a tad guilty for sometimes wishing Junior out of the house, if only of some private time with Steve.

Striding toward him, Steve kissed Danny. “Thank you. I’ll be back when I can.”

“I’ll be here.”

And Danny meant it.

* * *

Dealing with one Navy SEAL and their ridiculous need for order and excessive exercise at the crack of dawn was enough to drive Danny insane. Getting tag-teamed was unacceptable. 

He would not be told how to fold his clothes.

“You need to spread your shirt on a flat surface.”

Danny glared at Steve. “I do not need a table; I can fold them perfectly fine in the air.”

“But you won’t be as precise that way.” Steve tried to take the shirt out of Danny’s hands. “Hey, no, no, no, fold the sleeves in and fold down at a 45-degree angle to—” 

Danny yanked his shirt back. “I’ve been folding my clothes since I was eight years old. I know what I’m doing.”

Junior shook his head. “This pains me.”

“You know what pains me? The fact that I can’t wash and dry my clothes without backseat driving by the two of you. Not everything requires a rule or code to go by.”

“This is why you get creases in your shirts,” Steve mumbled.

“And you might be sleeping alone tonight, McGarrett.”

* * *

The one thing Danny enjoyed about Steve’s long torso was that it was nice to snuggle against on the sofa. It made intertwining their toes more of a challenge, but Danny was fine with that—more than fine as Steve played with his hair, making him purr like a cat.

Something was on the TV, a movie, but Danny felt so comfy, content he wasn’t even close to paying attention. 

They’d split a bottle of wine over salad, garlic bread and sausage lasagna that Steve had made. Danny was over the moon that Steve had cooked for him. 

“This was nice,’ Danny murmured. 

Steve’s skin smelled of olive oil and pine wood. Danny stared at his bare foot hanging off the cushion. “Is, um, Junior coming home, soon?”

“Naw, he’s spending the night.”

“At Tani’s?”

“That’d be my guess, but I don’t know. Don’t keep a schedule.”

“You don’t?” Danny teased.

Steve’s hand started searching for Danny’s zipper and Lord knew Danny was all about that, but this was a _moment_ , one he couldn’t allow to escape no matter how much other parts of him wanted Steve to reach his destination. 

“How long does Junior plan on staying here?” Danny asked. 

“Huh?”

“I mean, it’s been a year, yeah?”

“I guess.”

“Don’t get me wrong. Hawaii is expensive. I mean, most people have roommates, but, you know….”

“I haven’t given it much thought.”

“Really?”

“Well, he was apartment searching a couple months ago but that was before….”

“Before what?”

“Before Joe died.”

“Oh.”

Junior had planned on moving out but then didn’t. Joe White had died six months ago and Junior still lived here. Danny scanned the living room, toward the dining room. The whole house was a nothing but a giant reminder of loss. An empty hole to be filled. 

Danny hadn’t been joking with Junior when he’d been brought into the fold. Steve was happier when around people. Danny was over a few nights a week, he brought the kids at last once a month, Charlie more now that Grace was older. But it was obviously not enough. 

Danny wondered if Steve realized that he’d built a new adoptive family around him—not just Five-O, but Junior, even Eddie. Warm bodies. 

What had it been like those first few years when Steve returned home full of ghosts? A walking example why the armed services needed more programs for their people readjusting from deployment. But Steve never used any of those services that he knew of; he jumped right into Five-O after years of war and recent grief. And it had showed, with every facet of his behavior, until Danny indoctrinated Steve back into civilian life. 

“Whatcha thinking about?” Steve asked, dipping his head down until the words ticked Danny’s ear. 

That I think you should sell this house and buy a new one. But Danny didn’t say that. 

Instead, he turned his head until he was looking up at Steve. “I’m thinking why we are still lying around the sofa when there’s a bed upstairs.”

* * *

It was hit or miss if Danny ran into Junior on the weekends. It all depended on how their cases panned out, if everyone was exhausted. Junior volunteered a lot at places, and he had a small circle of friends. Mainly he hiked or went adventuring somewhere.

It was Saturday with the kids, but Rachel needed to switch weekends, so Danny obliged her. He needed to clean his apartment and do chores but there’d been a sale at Home Depot and Danny bought some stuff for Steve’s yard to drop off. He didn’t plan on staying, but he didn’t expect to find Junior on the lanai, staring off into space.

“Hey.”

Junior turned in his seat, halfway standing. “Oh, hey.” He wiped at his face. It was obvious he was upset. 

“I, um, was dropping off some plant food and things. It was on clearance.”

“Oh. Steve should be back in a few minutes. He ran to the store with Eddie to get kibble.” Junior stood. “Want help storing it?”

“Yeah, sure.” But Danny didn’t move. “You seemed pretty zoned out. Everything okay?”

Junior shrugged. “Yeah. I mean. You know. Stuff with my dad.”

Danny didn’t know a lot about Junior in his family other than he and his father did not speak often. Danny wasn’t sure if it was a long-standing thing or recent events. Junior never offered details and Danny didn’t pry.

“Families are hard. It’s this mix of emotions in a shaken champagne bottle. Both sides have to be willing to listen to each other. Respect each other’s opinions. And be willing to accept them.”

“Sounds like you have a lot of experience.”

“Yeah. It takes a lot of hard work.”

Junior nodded, taking in Danny’s words. “Thank you,” he said before pulling himself tall. “Is everything in the trunk?”

“Yeah.”

Danny didn’t expect Junior to open up to him; he was as guarded as Steve with his emotions, though his walls were not as thick or tall. But the offer was there in the open, and Danny knew Junior had accepted it.

“Yo!”

Danny smiled as Steve strode down the lanai and the three of them went back to Danny’s car to carry the supplies back to the garage even though it only needed one person.

Danny went into the kitchen to wash his hands and grab some beers. Walking back outside he spotted Steve and Junior together, Steve with his hand on Junior’s shoulder, the two of them deeply engaged. 

Danny gave them space, because if anyone could bestow advice and firsthand experience about fathers, it was Steve. As someone who had learned too many hard lessons about family, he had a knack for putting such complicated emotions into perspective. 

If anything, maybe Junior repairing the rift with his dad would help Steve with lingering issues of his own.

* * *

Life and death situations were more common than Danny would like. It was the nature of the job, but it didn’t make them any less harrowing. Five-O had been relentless in their pursuit of another heroin ring. They targeted the supplier, then the distributors. 

One of the cartels decided to make a move.

It was impressive really. Anticipating another raid, the bad guys waited until everyone was scattered in search of evidence when they took Steve. 

The bad guys’ plan was simple: Steve was their hostage until one final shipment. They’d be in touch.

Day one everyone had worked around the clock. 

Day two HPD, SWAT and DEA created a taskforce. 

On day three Danny had only slept for six hours of the last seventy-two and was ready to punch the wall. 

He strode inside HQ at four in the morning because sleeping was torture, his night terrors only made his paranoia worse. It shouldn’t have been a surprise to find Junior already there. The man had taken Steve’s abduction as hard as Danny, especially as he’d been the last one to see Steve in the warehouse.

Danny went straight to the coffee pot. “What are you working on?”

“Going through Kolk’s assets again. See if we can figure out where he’s got Steve.”

They worked for hours, digging through records, through and systematic.

“He’s going to be okay, you know,” Danny said after his second cup of coffee. “Steve’s been through far worse than anything Kolk can do.”

“Yeah, I know.” 

And the way Junior said it, the certainly in his voice, the way he clenched his jaw in determination. Danny nodded; the two of them had a deep connection to Steve, formed in different ways, but both strong and sure.

* * *

On day fucking seven, they found the island that Kolk had moved his drug operation. With the help of the Navy, Five-O conducted a dawn assault. 

Steve would have been proud at how they executed a perfect launch by sea, Five-O sneaking in and raiding the camp.

“Take it easy, Danny,” Lou warned while Danny pressed the barrel of his gun to Kolk’s forehand, rage making his whole body shake.

“Where’s Steve!”

Junior held Kolk upright by the back of his shirt. “Answer the man’s question.”

“Who the hell knows? The bastard escaped on the second day and he’s been terrorizing us ever since.”

Danny struck Kolk across the face with his weapon. “Prove it.”

* * *

Kolk showed them where he’d kept Steve inside a fucking cage. And if Junior hadn’t kicked Kolk in the back of the knees, Danny would have broken a few knuckles with what he wanted to do with his face.

“As you can see, he used something to break the lock,” Kolk snarled. “He escaped in the middle of the night.”

Tani took that moment to come over with a report. “We’ve got a dozen suspects ready to transport. But we also have, like, six different people with various medical needs. A few with broken bones, a couple stab wounds, a few with strange burns.”

“See!” Kolk growled. “The bastard sabotaged half my product. Blew up our food storage. Even poisoned our fucking water.”

That would explain why some of his gang looked green around the gills. Too bad Kolk was too paranoid about keeping his operation secret to have radios or even a freaking phone, he could have used one to call for help. Of course that meant Steve didn't have a way to contact them. 

“So, how do we find him?” Tani asked

Junior walked toward the edge of the camp and peered into the jungle. “He’ll find us.”

* * *

While they waited for a helicopter to arrive to help in the search for Steve, Danny lead the search on foot. 

Tani joined him and Junior as they began down a possible trail. “He’s been out in the jungle for a week living on what? Insects and fruit?”

“He probably has a stash of stolen food from camp, but there’s plenty to eat out here,” Junior said. 

“For six days,” Tani reiterated. “Alone.”

“He just needs the sun and a knife,” Junior told her.

“This isn’t summer camp,” Danny muttered. 

“Do you know where you’re going?” Tani asked Junior.

“This is where I’d go,” Junior said matter of fact. “Near a stream, going uphill, I think there’s a good spot for a sniper nest up this ravine.”

Tani looked at Danny, her expression reminding Danny how ridiculous Junior sounded, how sure and confident, that this was just another day ending in Y for people like him and Steve. 

It was surreal and sad and kind of amazing all rolled into one. But that was part of the package, the warnings issued at the beginning of the ride when you accepted the consequences of going on this type of dangerous rollercoaster.

Danny stepped on a twig, the snap sending birds flying into the sky.

“Do you know the definition of stealth or is it just a suggestion?”

Danny pointed his weapon in the direction of the familiar voice and lowered it when Steve stepped out of the jungle. 

Danny’s whole body sagged in relief as Steve limped closer. His face was covered with streaks of dirt and mud, his black t-shirt and cargo pants filthy from the jungle. 

“Well, I wasn’t hunting wabbitts,” Danny deadpanned. 

It was a lame joke, but it earned him a smile. “Glad to hear,” Steve said. 

Handing his weapon to Tani, Danny enveloped Steve in a hug, careful of not squeezing too hard. Steve melted into him, grunting with the movement, leaning into Danny’s solid hold. “It's good to see you.”

“And it’s very good to see you,” Danny said, putting a shoulder under Steve’s arm, taking his weight. “Come on; let’s get you out of here.”

“I'll radio head for a medivac,” Junior said, taking over. “We’ll get you out of here, Sir.”

Junior handed Danny a canteen of water and Danny gave it to Steve. With Tani at the lead, Junior on Steve’s left and Danny on the right, they walked until they found a clearing to take their ride out.

* * *

Danny did not hover. Maybe he ensured the sofa had enough pillows, and the house was filled with the aroma of spaghetti and garlic bread. But that was totally different. Steve was banged-up from Kolk’s goons and running around the jungle, moving stiffly wherever he went.

Danny banished him to the recliner. 

Steve sat around and filled Junior in on all the bobby traps he’d made to take out the men hunting him and how Steve slowly turned the tables and began sabotaging their supplies.

Junior hung on to every word, his grin widening by the minute.

“If you’re done with your reenactment of Rambo, dinner is almost ready,” Danny called out.

Steve’s eyes lit up at the mention of food, and it reminded Danny that he hadn’t eaten a real meal in a week. Danny was glad he had the forethought to make a giant pot of sauce.

He touched Steve a lot, brushing his hands over his arms, touching his leg under the table with his foot. Steve smiled at him in reassurance between wolfing down two helpings of pasta. 

Danny threw a napkin at his head. “Manners, you animal.”

Laughing, Steve wiped away the sauce at his chin. 

Junior ate a mountain of food, reminding Danny that the other man had been relentless in his pursuit of Kolk. 

When Steve began standing, presumably to get more bread, Junior hopped to attention. “What do you need?”

“I need you to stand down.” Steve reached over and patted Junior on the shoulder. “I’m good.”

“If you want a smooth recovery, boss, you need to let these two mother-hen you a bit,” Tani said, walking inside. “By the way, your front door is unlocked.”

Junior greeted her, his whole face lighting up. Danny glanced at Steve who shook his head, both sharing a smile.

Tani beamed at Steve and shook her head. “You know I am not going to hear the end about your vacation in the forest from Junes for _months_.”

“It was a jungle,” Steve reminded her with a smile. “And it was more like SERE training.”

“In other words, he loved it,” Danny said. 

Junior snickered. 

“Come on, let’s leave these two alone,” Tani said, corralling Junior away from the table.

But Junior seemed torn about leaving, looking between Steve and Tani. 

Yeah, this needed a special approach. Pushing his chair away, Danny stood up and walked toward Steve, gesturing for him to get up.

Perplexed, Steve stood, and Danny wrapped an arm around his back and pointed at Junior. “Come on, group hug.”

Junior did not hesitate, coming over and wrapping one arm around Steve and his other arm around Danny. It felt great, the hug all-encompassing, Steve surrounded by some of the most important people in his life. It made Danny feel warm and proud and happy. 

“Come on,” Danny said, craning his neck to look over at Tani. “You, too.”

“I was about to get very jealous if I wasn’t invited,” she said.

Tani joined them, beaming with delight, until the hugging got a bit much for the SEALs. Junior pulled away first, then Steve. Danny kept his arm where it belonged around Steve’s waist. 

Tani was still a radiant ray of sunshine. She tugged in Junior’s elbow. “Come on, they need more cuddle time.”

Junior was slow to move, his grin morphing on drunken silly. Tani rolled her eyes. “Do you really think those noise canceling headphones I bought you are going to work tonight?”

Blushing, Junior took his cue. “I’m glad your home, sir.”

“So, am I,” Steve said with a laugh.

Danny started clearing the dishes and watched the kids leave. “I think you owe them both a long weekend.”

“Well, it would appear that we’ll have the house all to ourselves,” Steve said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

“Aww, you’re cute when you think you’re up for shenanigans.”

“I was thinking maybe lounging in bed all day.”

“I think that is a very good idea.”

Danny dumped all the dishes for later and went into the living room where Steve waited for him. 

The house was quiet. Junior had taken Eddie with him. Danny closed his eyes; he could hear Steve’s breathing and ocean waves—beautiful sounds of peace.

Maybe the place was better with people; he could see that, feel it in his bones, until the day he and Steve took things to the next level. But until then, he would gladly enjoy some alone time with Steve, taking Steve’s hand, the two them went upstairs for a long night of love and cuddling.

* * *

Fini-


End file.
